Refuse container



Jan. 6, 1942- J. M. EDWARDS REFUSE CONTA-INER Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1939 1N VENTOR.

2 Sheets Jaw/Es M. 0 WHRDJ ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 6, 1942 J. M. EDWARDS REFUSE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Filed April 24, 1939 .INVENTOR. J/IMES M. Eowmrbs ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES OFFICE REFUSE CONTAINER! James M. EdwardgFlint, Application April24, ma aria macaw 11 Claims. (01. 248-1117) This invention relates to a refuse container and has particularly to do with a holder for a flexible container in combination with the container; I

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for receiving refuse and the like so that the same may be kept in a sealed container while it is being collected and so that the container may be easily disposed of when it is sufficiently full. The present device has utility in doctors oflices and hospitals as well as in commercial or domestic kitchens for receiving garbage. It is a further object of the invention to pro vide a holder for a bag or flexible container which holder will normally keep the opening of the container closed, but which will permit manual opening so that the container may be filled. A further object of the invention is to provide a means for fastening a. flexible com I tainer to the holder which is notonly convenient but which serves also to tighten itself as the container receives more contents. An additional object has to do with dimensioning of a holder in combination with a container so that as the container is filled, the holder will furnish support to the bottom of the container.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means for operation of the holder so that the container may be opened without being touched by the hands.

Other objects and features of the invention having .to do with details of construction and operation, will be brought out in the following description and claims. a

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 .isa perspective view of the device i1 lustrating the container in closed position, the dotted lines showing the container in open position. 1

Fig. 2 isa detail partial plan view of the means which is used to fasten the edges of the container to the holder.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the container holder.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 4 and showing the foot pedal depressed.

Fig. 6- is a partial side elevation showing the base of the holder. I

Fig. 7 is a partial view of the top of the holder showing the manner in which the container is fastened to the holder.

"Referring :to the. drawings, the main elements of theinvention consist of a base 10, a fixed arm H supported .on the: base and having a portion l2 extending over the base horizontally, and a movable arm 13 having a horizontal portion l4 parallelto the portion l2 of arm II and extending overxthe base It. A flexible container or bag I5 is shown fastened to the two horizontal members 1.2 and .14, the bottom portion of the bag resting-on the base I 0.

The base J0 consists of -a fat top plate having vertical flanges i6 and IT at each end thereof. The base issupported on two back foot portions mandia front foot portion I9,

:The .arm H is most conveniently formed as a U-shaped member having a horizontal portion [2 as described and having a horizontal portion which passes through flanges l6 and ll of base. I0 and is rigidly mounted therein so that all portions of the arm are immovable. This fasteningof the-portion to the base may be accomplished either by serratingpportions of the arm that pass through flanges l6 and I! or by welding the piece v20 to the foot members 3, for

example. The arm I3 is preferably formed in the same way as arm II, as a U-shaped member having the lower of the two parallel arms of the U indicated at 2|, passing through the flanges l6 and I1 and pivotally mounted therein so that the arm I3 and'the top portion M'may swing to and from the arm ll.

The foot member I9 is slotted as shown at 22 and passing through this slot is a pedal or foot lever 23. This lever 23 is bent around the portion 2| of arm l3 and clamped thereto by a bolt 24 so that movement of the lever 23 will cause the arm 13 to move to and from the arm I l. The

extent of this movement is limited in one direction by reason of the horizontal member l4 contacting the horizontal member l2 and it is limited in the other direction by the lever 23 contacting the footmember IS. A leaf spring 25 also clamped to the lever 23 by a bolt 24, bears against the base in such a way that the lever 23 is urged upwardly and the arm I3 is urged to-. ward the arm II. It will be obvious that other spring means could be utilized to accomplish this to the members l2 and H, as shown. These clip means are fashioned of spring wire and consist of parallel portions of wire bent at right angles at one point and spaced so that the horizontal bars I2 and M will pass between the parallel portions, there being some frictional engagement between the clips and the members. When the flaps 2B are folded over the members l2 and I4 and the clips 21 are moved toward the horizontal members, as shown in Fig. 1, the container will be tightly fastened at its edges and will receive support from the arms II and I3 and the corresponding horizontal members l2 and I4. With this type of arrangement if there is any downward pull on thesides of the bag, this pull will simply tend to increase the frictional engagement of the clips 21 with the members [2 and I4 since the tendency of the flaps 26 to move off from the member I4, for example, will simply pull the clips into tighter engagement with the member. The invention is not intended to be limited to the particular type .of clip means disclosed since other means of fastening the edges of the flexible container to the horizontal members may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention. The holder as described may be readily used with any type of paper bag or container such as are in common use today. In order to utilize the particular clip fastening means 2'! on a standard bag it would 7 be necessary only to tear down the ends of the bag slightly so that the flaps 26 will be formed on the sides of the bag. It is highly desirable, of course, that the bag be dimensioned so that the base will rest directly on the bottom of the base plate l when in position. The bag is preferably designed as shown in Fig. 7 so that when the bottom of the bag rests on the base ID, the top edge of the narrow sides of the bag will be positioned slightly below the members l2 and I4. With the bag so positioned, the collapsing narrow sides will not obstruct the closing of the top portion. A good seal is thus obtained.

It will thus be seen that due to the action of the spring a bag suspended on support members l2 and M will normally be held closed, as shown in Fig. 1. When refuse is to be deposited in the bag it is necessary only to press the pedal 23 with the foot and the bag will be opened as shown in the dotted lines of Fig. l. The lifting of. the foot from the pedal will again result in the bag being closed. When the bag is sufficiently full the clip means 21 may be swung away from the horizontal bars l4 and I2 and the bag may be removed and deposited in an incinerator or otherwise disposed of.

What I claim is:

1. A holder for a container for receiving refuse orthe like, comprising a base, a member rigidly fastened at said base and having a horizontal portion extending over said base and spaced therefrom, a member pivotally mounted on said base and having a horizontal portion extending parallel with the horizontal portion of the first member, fastening means to fasten the edges of a flexible container on each of said horizontal portions, and means urging said pivoted member to a position whereby the horizontal portions of the members are normally maintained in close parallel relation.

2. A holder for a container for receiving refuse or the like, comprising a base, an arm rigidly fastened at said base and having a horizontal portion extending over said base and spaced therefrom, an arm pivotally mounted on said base and having a horizontal portion extending parallel with the horizontal portion of the first arm, fastening means on each of said horizontal portions adapted to fasten the edges of a flexible container thereto, means urging said pivoted arm to a position whereby the horizontal portions of the armsare normally maintained in close parallel relation, and lever means on said base operably connected to said pivoted arm whereby the same may be moved away from said fixed arm to open a container suspended on the horizontal portions of said arms.

3. A holder for a container for receiving refuse V or the like, comprising a base, a U-shaped memher having one of the two parallel arms rigidly fastened at said base and the other of said arms extending horizontally over and spaced from said base, a second U-shaped member having one of the two parallel arms pivotally mounted on said base and the other of said arms extending horizontally over and spaced from said base in a position substantially parallel with the arms of "saidfirst U-shaped member, fastening means on each of said horizontal arms adapted to fasten the margins of the opening of a flexible container thereto, and means urging said pivoted U-shap'ed member to a position whereby the horizontal arms are normally maintained in close parallel relation.

4. A holder for a container for receiving refuse or the like,.comprising a base, an arm rigidly fastened at said base and having a horizontal portion extending over said base and spaced therefrom, an arm pivotally mounted on said base and having a horizontal portion extending parallel with the horizontal portion of the first arm, fastening means on each of said horizontal portions adapted to fasten the edges of a flexible container thereto, means urging said pivoted arm to a position whereby the horizontal portions of the arms arenormally maintained in close parallel relation, and foot-pedal lever means'pivotally mounted on said base and extending-therefrom and operably connected to said pivoted arm whereby pressing of said lever downwardwill cause said pivoted arm to be moved away from the fixed arm to open a container suspended on the horizontal portions of said 'arms. 1 1

5. A holder for a container for receiving refuse and the like comprising a base, and upright members on said base adapted to support the edgfes jof 'a flexible, detachable container, and means to hold said members together and to hold the edges of said container normally closed, said upright members being mounted whereby they may be separated to open said container while it is being filled. Y

-6. In combination, a flexible, disposable container for receiving refuse and the like, and a holder for said container comprising a base, upright means on said base adapted to support the edges of said container, and means acting on said upright means to hold the edges of said container normally closed, said upright means being mounted whereby they may be separated to o'pen sai'd"containerwhile it is being filled, said container being dimensioned such that when supported by said upright means, the lower portioniof said container will rest on and receive support from said base. a

7.' A holder for a container. to receive refuse and th'elike comprising a base, upright means on said base adapted to support theedges of a flexible; disposable containen'means acting on said upright means to hold the edges of said container normally closed, said upright means being mounted whereby they may be separated to open said container while it is being filled, and fastening means on said upright means for frictionally engaging said flexible container comprising U-shaped clips, having the bight portion ofiset from the leg portions, pivoted on said upright members and movable to a position where said leg portions may engage either side of a portion of the upright means to fasten the edge of said container between said legs and said upright means.

8. A holder for a disposable container for receiving refuse and the like comprising a base, three triangularly spaced foot members for supporting said base, upright members on said base tainer, means to hold said members together.

and thereby hold the edges of said container closed, and means for separating said upright members comprising a foot pedal located in one of said foot members, and an operable connection between said pedal and said upright members.

, means arranged to hold the upright members together whereby the top edges of the two longer sides of the sack are tightly together with the other opposed sides collapsed below the line of contact, and a pedal for shifting said upright means'to open said container.

11. In combination, a flexible disposable container for receiving refuse and the like comprising a sack having four sides, an opposed two of which are cut down from the other two longer sides at the top, and a holder for said sack comprising a base, upright means on said base adapted 'to removably support the top of said container, said means being relatively movable, means arranged to hold the upright members together whereby the top edges of the two longer sides of the sack are tightly together with the other opposed sides collapsed below the line of contact, and a pedal for shifting said upright means to open said container, said container being dimensioned such that, when the top portion is supported by the upright means, the lower portion of said container will rest on and receive support from the base.

JAMES M. EDWARDS. 

